← 17 May Thursday 18 May 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 19 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
52,386 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

The day's news pointed at building collapse in Sri Lanka, illness in Monrovia and violence in Baghdad. Sri Lanka's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSri Lanka 69 in 100 of its 551 stories, usually 24
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 31 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

378 of its 551 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Colombo accounted for 272 of Sri Lanka's 378 stories about harm, carried by 159 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (198 stories). Building collapse was named in 165 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories → Colombo stories →
Health

Liberia

126 of its 192 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Monrovia accounted for 93 of Liberia's 126 stories about harm, carried by 90 outlets. Haemorrhagic fever was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Liberia over 30 days → its stories → Monrovia stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

461 of its 605 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Baghdad accounted for 227 of Iraq's 461 stories about harm, carried by 172 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Protests & strikes

South Korea

318 of its 1,065 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 173 of Gwangju's 218 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (224 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

South Korea over 30 days → its stories → Gwangju stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Burundi

32 of its 39 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Bujumbura accounted for 29 of Burundi's 32 stories about harm, carried by 19 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 10 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

139 of its 183 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Aguelhoc accounted for 97 of Mali's 139 stories about harm, carried by 110 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

791 of its 1,038 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. 131 of Caracas' 173 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Denmark

105 of its 288 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. HIV was named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Greece

264 of its 867 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 190 of Athens' 220 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (79 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Damascus accounted for 506 of Syria's 1,032 stories about harm, carried by 267 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (545 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Cambodia (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in United Arab Emirates (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); volcanic eruption in New Zealand (39 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); hiv in Denmark (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10019 Apr26 Apr3 May10 May18 May19 Apr: 21 in 10020 Apr: 21 in 10021 Apr: 22 in 10022 Apr: 23 in 10023 Apr: 22 in 10024 Apr: 22 in 10025 Apr: 21 in 10026 Apr: 20 in 10027 Apr: 20 in 10028 Apr: 20 in 10029 Apr: 20 in 10030 Apr: 21 in 1001 May: 22 in 1002 May: 21 in 1003 May: 21 in 1004 May: 21 in 1005 May: 21 in 1006 May: 23 in 1007 May: 24 in 1008 May: 20 in 1009 May: 20 in 10010 May: 20 in 10011 May: 19 in 10012 May: 20 in 10013 May: 22 in 10014 May: 20 in 10015 May: 20 in 10016 May: 20 in 10017 May: 20 in 10018 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 May. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 52,386 stories about harm among 255,946 counted on 18 May.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of building collapse ran more than ten times their usual in Sri Lanka's news. of the day's 255,946 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Sri Lanka stood out: 69% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 24%. A year earlier, on 18 May 2016, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo88 in 100 of its 169 stories · usually 78 · mostly health Venezuela76 in 100 of its 1,038 stories · usually 62 · mostly rights & justice Iraq76 in 100 of its 605 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Mali76 in 100 of its 183 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen73 in 100 of its 136 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US580 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1728 Tulsa County US471 stories about protests or strikes, of its 516 Times Square US343 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1350 Jerusalem Israel221 stories about protests or strikes, of its 423 Damascus Syria205 stories about protests or strikes, of its 506

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: too little coverage to readUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: too little coverage to readHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUK: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualCote Dazur, France -- conflict & violence: 40 stories, carried by 35 outletsBamako, Mali -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 23 outletsWinnipeg, Canada -- other: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsMontgomery County, US -- health: 26 stories, carried by 22 outletsBasij, Iran -- rights & justice: 27 stories, carried by 16 outletsBristol, UK -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 15 outletsTrenton, US -- health: 20 stories, carried by 18 outletsColchester, UK -- health: 38 stories, carried by 22 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● South Korea warmth about one and a half times usual ● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Cote Dazur France about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 40 stories ● Bamako Mali about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 24 stories ● Winnipeg Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · other · 13 stories ● Montgomery County US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Basij Iran about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 27 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 16,045 stories · about as usual Health21% 10,631 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 9,673 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Disasters & accidents13% 6,441 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given8% 4,107 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,674 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,671 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 993 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed16,496 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,353 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,594 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people affected5,401 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees766 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting abductions461 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced364 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations245 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting people falling ill49 at about the usual rate

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.